Debate over McCoy staff

One issue for lawmakers: the role of Christine Quinn, facing felony drug charge

By Alysia Santo

Updated 1:02 pm, Monday, November 18, 2013

Photo: Paul Buckowski

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Christine Quinn, left, the deputy Albany County executive and her attorney, Michael McDermott, leave Colonie Town Court following her arraignment on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2013 in Colonie, NY. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union) less

Christine Quinn, left, the deputy Albany County executive and her attorney, Michael McDermott, leave Colonie Town Court following her arraignment on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2013 in Colonie, NY. (Paul Buckowski / ... more

Photo: Paul Buckowski

Debate over McCoy staff

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Editor's note: An earlier version of this story confused the county and city of Albany in two references.

Albany

County lawmakers spent the better part of the last budget meeting asking about the roles and proposed salaries for County Executive Dan McCoy's 2014 staff.

That included inquiries about Christine Quinn, the former deputy county executive who returned to work last week, two months after her arrest on a felony drug charge.

Quinn now works as chief information officer in the Division of Information Services for Albany County. The budget request for her 2014 salary is $113,000, the same pay rate she made in her former job before her arrest.

Democrat Lucille McKnight said she was "shocked" when she heard Quinn had returned to work for the same pay even though the criminal case against her is not resolved. "That was problematic for a lot of people I think," said McKnight in an interview.

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Chairman Shawn Morse felt differently about Quinn. "She went to great lengths to fix the problems in her life," said Morse in an interview. "I believe in second chances."

Morse was instead irked by a nearly $15,000 raise for Mary Rozak, McCoy's spokesperson, which would bring Rozak's salary to $82,500.

"Let's put her in position where she promotes the county of Albany instead of position to write press releases saying the county legislature is dysfunctional," said Morse to members of the executive office. "It's ironic you think I'd vote to pay her more."

Members of the Audit and Finance Committee also asked about the work of two investigators who were appointed to root out fraud and employee misconduct and whose responsibilities expanded into duties usually reserved for law enforcement agencies. Eight Democrats requested a special hearing last month to review the scope of the new hires' duties.

County officials told lawmakers they plan to move the investigators to the county attorney's office.